WeChat Unveils New Calling Feature to Start 2016

To cap off the holiday season and ring-ring-ring in the New Year, WeChat has released a new calling feature that allows users to call mobile and landline phones around the world.

No longer do you have to WeChat-to-WeChat voice call your sister in Portland, you can now reach her at her mobile number, even on her Bluetooth hands-free earpiece, while she is writing poetry, or doing yoga, or whatever it is people in Portland do.

WeChat Out, according to the official WeChat blog, will provide users with both outstanding call quality and super-low calling charges. The feature is currently available in the United States, Hong Kong and India and will allegedly cover more regions in the near future.

To use WeChat Out, tap the ‘+’ icon on the top right of your ‘Chats’ screen and select WeChat Out. WeChat will ask you to allow access to your phone’s contacts, select okay and browse your contacts on WeChat or dial the number you wish to call into the dial pad. To top-up your WeChat Out, select ‘Account’ on the right corner of your screen and then choose ‘Top-Up.’

As a holiday gift, WeChat has given every user USD0.99 in calling credit, providing up to 100 minutes of free calls for most numbers around the world, according to the official WeChat blog.